eruthros

Entries tagged with cthulhu

As part of my endless set of errands today (recapped best as: "run around a lot, take several buses") I went up to the mall to return the Lands' End boots that have been sitting in my apartment for a month, 'cause it had taken three tries to get the right size.

And I was doing pretty well, you know? I went into the mall laden down, cut through swathes of heavily-laden shoppers, returned the Lands' End stuff, had twenty minutes before my bus so took a brief break to look at the bunnies (there's a pet store in the mall, see). And then... coming out of the pet store, I saw this. For five dollars. And yes, that is what it looks like: the cover's all Sherlock Holmes with tentacles! And so, of course, you play Sherlock Holmes. And you need to stop the secret society that is trying to raise Cthulhu.

And it is like: oh my god, they took my favorite trope in the whole wide world and made a computer game! Seriously, guys, my huge weakness is Weird Lovecraft Crossovers, of which Sherlock Holmes Does Lovecraft is pretty much number one. So I was all "no, you're not shopping!" and then... well, friends, I bought it.

Yup, that's his story from Shadows Over Baker Street, a book of short story Lovecraft-Holmes crossovers. (Discussion of that book inspired mlechan to begin to write her first fanfiction ever -- Holmes/Cthulhu eldritch tentacle pr0n.) And the story's been nominated for a Hugo -- that's why it's online, along with all the other nominated short stories, novellas, and novellettes. A really, really powerful story, and I think my favorite of the selections, although of course I read the book in the bookstore and that was a while ago so I might have forgotten something.

If you've got a moment, you should go read it. Even if you don't know anything about the Lovecraft universe.

(ETA the total random note that it's 55 degrees outside and foggy and overcast -- the exact same weather as in the East Bay right now. It'll get horrible by mid-day, of course, but right now it looks and feels like the Bay Area. When I walked down the hill this morning, the sun was muted and the trees across the way were obscured by the mist over the river. *happy sigh*)

(Edited again to add: there are a few characters in Gaiman's story who are never identified by name, just by obscure reference to canon. You can certainly read the story and still not care who they are -- I mean, it's no big deal. But if you do care, leave me a comment and I'll tell you who they are and how we're supposed to know. In nice white text, even, so's not to spoil it for anyone else. Although I can't imagine it being a spoiler. But some people are really anti-spoiler.)

'Cause when I told m_shell about the collection of Lovecraft and Holmes crossover short stories, she said "no Cthulhu Holmes!" and I heard "no Cthulhu/Holmes." (I would now like to see slash with tentacles. "Come now. The only way Cthulhu won't destroy the world is if I sacrifice myself, Watson. It must be done for England!" Etc.)

Hey mlechan -- Are you tired of worshipping Cthulhu by yourself? Do you need a cuddly companion to join you in your dark rituals? If so, check out the Cthulhu Cultist Teddy Bear! (I first heard about this from morgandawn -- not trying to steal her mad websearching thunder, as it were.)